Ramaeka (The Ramaeka Series Book 1) (17 page)

By the time
they awoke the next morning gloom had once more settled over the group, the
levity of the night before forgotten.  Several times they passed soldiers
heading in the opposite direction.  Each time Ramaeka watched as Stripe’s gaze
followed them until they were out of sight.  He wondered if one morning they
would just wake up to find Stripe gone.  I’ll still follow you, he told the
Stripe in his mind fiercely.  

As they walked
Stripe continued to try and get his magic into shape on his palm.  At one point
he was concentrating so hard that he walked into a tree.  Normally Ramaeka
would have laughed his head off, but today he was so depressed and worried
about his friend he couldn’t even muster a smile.  The ancient forest seemed to
be closing in on them again and Ramaeka was sure that at one point he saw a
huge hairy animal watching them from afar.  Finally, sick of the air of
despondency hanging over the group, he stopped in a small sunny glade and
dropped his pack.

“What are you
doing?” Shady asked frowning.

“Stopping for
midday meal,” he told him.  “We might as well, we’re all tired and we’re not in
a hurry to get anywhere.”

Shady and
Stripe both hesitated but when Amar sat down, they both dropped their packs as
well.  As they sat down, Ramaeka walked into the trees.

“I’m going to
find us something to eat, make sure you stay here,” he called back to them
ignoring their protests.

After only a
short trek through the dense undergrowth he was lucky enough to scent two
rabbits.  He stalked and killed them both in almost record time, apologising to
their spirits as he skinned them.  As he started to head back, he heard voices
coming from somewhere off to his right.  Curious he followed the sound taking
care to make no noise himself; there was no telling what was out here.  It was
almost half an hour before he finally found the source in an area where the
trees thinned into one of the strange sudden openings.  It was as if it had
once been carefully cultivated though it had obviously been abandoned for a
long time.  Two women were standing beside several apple trees, pulling ripe
fruit from the branches to fill their packs.  One of the women seemed to have
purple hair, fascinated Ramaeka crept closer.  The other woman was blonde and,
with a pang, Ramaeka thought of Alekra.  It seemed so long ago now since he sat
in front of her cave and talked to her.

Unlike Alekra
both of these women were clearly fighters.  They wore armour over leather
tunics, the steel of the armour decorated with intricate patterns and runes. 
They were also covered in weaponry of all kinds which Ramaeka had never seen
before.  He leant forward to get a better view; Stripe would like to hear about
the different weapons they carried.

He must have
made some noise, because suddenly the purple haired woman swept a bow expertly
arming it and pointing in his direction.

“Who’s there?”
she growled.

He stood up
and walked out towards them, after all they had apples which were Stripe’s favourite
and would make a great addition to his supplies.  They both scowled ferociously
at him as he walked forward, the blond picked up a massive axe, hefting its
bulk with ease.

“Hello,” he
said politely smiling at them.  “Do you mind if I gather some apples too?”

“Yeah we do
actually,” the blond eyed him up coldly, fingering the blade of her axe.  “We
do not want our supplies contaminated by some man child.”

“Oh sorry,”
Ramaeka said confused.  “Er, are you allergic to boys then?”

The blond
glared at him; however the purple haired woman snorted in amusement, lowering
her bow.

“Let him be
Gelber, he’s just a boy,” she told her companion sliding the arrow back into
the quiver slung across her back.

Turning to
Ramaeka she looked him over.  “Tell you what little boy; you can have some of
the apples in exchange for one of your rabbits.  Game is unusually hard to find
in this forest.”

“Sure,”
Ramaeka said cheerfully, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t find some more after all.

“But wait,” he
frowned.  “Won’t you get sick, if I’ve contaminated it?”

The woman
laughed.  “Nay we won’t get sick; our tribe just do not get along well with men.”

“Oh,” Ramaeka
replied pulling off one of the rabbits.  “That’s good then.  But you’re not
from this forest?”

“Nor even this
world,” purple hair replied examining the rabbit.  “We have travelled here to
find the one they call Gasha.”

“Gasha,”
Ramaeka scowled.  “That evil son of a wavaki just massacred a city over that
way.”  He pointed back the way he had come.

“The General
is going to fight him and his army over at another city more to the north I
think.”

“Do you know
where?” 

Both women
studied him intently now.

“No,” he said
slowly.  “I’m not really from around here myself, but my friends know where it
is, I can take you back to where I left them if you want?”

“We would be
grateful,” purple hair told him.  “We too seek to battle him.  He massacred his
way through our world, killing some of our sisters and many of our Girdin,” she
paused.  “My name is Parrit and this is my sister warrior Gelber.”

“It’s a
pleasure to meet two warriors such as your selves, especially if you mean to
fight Gasha,” Ramaeka told them bowing.  “My name is Ramaeka.”

Parrit grinned
at him.  “It’s nice to meet a male with a little respect.  The men of our world
would never refer to a woman as a warrior.”

“Well they’re
not very smart then,” Ramaeka frowned.  “I’ve never met two people who look
more like warriors than you two.”

He yanked off
his shirt, tying the arms and neck with string to make a sack for the apples. 
Parrit kindly helped him to fill while asking about the massacre at Porkae. 
The blonde glowered unnervingly at him as they worked causing him to fumble
occasionally.  He was relieved when they finished and he could finally lead
them back towards where he had left his friends.  As he emerged, Shady whacked
him lightly across the back of the head.

“You’ve been
gone for hours,” he said annoyed.

“We were
getting worried,” Stripe said frowning at him.

“Sorry,” he
replied sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.  “I ran into these two warrior
women in an apple grove.  They want to know where to go to fight Gasha.”

Stripe and
Shady both gawped as the two women followed him into the clearing.  Ramaeka grinned
as the two women glared at them.

“It is a
pleasure to have two of the women warriors of Shapir at our camp,” Amar said
formally, rising to bow slightly at them.

The women
blinked in surprise at that. 

“Thank you
young one, it is nice to meet one with manners,” Parrit replied glancing coolly
at the other two boys.  Both quickly dropped their gazes blushing furiously.

“My apologies,”
Stripe said recovering himself.  “Any warrior who fights against Gasha is
welcome.”

“Thank you,”
Parrit replied walking into the glade and seating herself near Amar.  Gelber
seated herself across from her companion glowering at the rest of them, her axe
resting on her knees.

“Ramaeka why
don’t you give that rabbit to Shady to cook, I’m sure our guests will join us
for a meal,” Amar said calmly.

Ramaeka handed
the rabbit to Shady with a grin and went to find some water to clean up.  By
the time that he had come back, laden with some watercress that he had found by
a small stream, Shady had a pot of rabbit stew bubbling over a fire and the
women were telling the other boys their story.

“.. and he
slaughtered many of our Girdin which was an inconvenience.”

“What are
Girdin?” Ramaeka interrupted. 

“Sorry,” he
added hastily as Amar frowned at him.

Parrit
shrugged.

“Our male
stock so to speak.”

At Ramaeka’s
confused expression she elaborated.

“Our people
are all female; it is rare that we allow men into our sacred forest and halls. 
The Girdin live beyond our borders and in exchange for our protection they help
us with the burden of breeding.”

“So wait,”
Stripe said slowly.  “You protect their borders and uh, they help you have kids?”

“Exactly.”

“But they
don’t call you warriors?” Ramaeka asked trying to hide the unease he felt. 
This was completely different from what his father had planned with Alekra.

“Nay, they
call us Langney,” Gelber said grimly.  “That means she-demon or unnatural witch.”

“Never the
less, they were under our protection and we failed them.  That and the murder
of several of our sisters spurred Gelber and I to take an oath to find and kill
the miserable rat Gasha.”

“This is a
grim undertaking,” Amar commented softly.  “Especially as you have been drawn
out of the sacred land.”

Ramaeka
watched with interest as Gelber and Parrit exchanged startled looks.

“What does
that mean?” he asked.

“It is unusual
for an outsider to know of our ways.”  Parrit looked intently at Amar for an
explanation.

“I have
travelled much in my time,” he said meeting her eyes fearlessly.

Uneasily she
looked away.

“We are not
permitted to leave our lands save once a year if we wish to breed.  By doing so
both Gelber and I have forsaken our vows to our people.  It is unlikely that we
will be allowed to return despite our council’s approval for our vengeance.”

“That’s tough,”
Stripe said.

“It is the way
of things,” she shrugged.  “Ramaeka said you would be able to point out the
direction in which Gasha was travelling?”

“Of course we
will explain how to get there,” Amar was telling them.

“Thank you,”
Parrit replied gratefully.  “I am surprised though that the three of you are
not headed into battle, having seen such atrocities in this city you left.”

“We can’t take
Ramaeka into battle,” Stripe said staring at his hands glumly.

“Don’t make
this about me,” Ramaeka interrupted firmly.  “I wanted to fight and I still do.”

“You’re a bit
young boy, even our younger warriors do not begin to fight until they are
fourteen,” Gelber said eyeing him with interest.

“I am fourteen,”
he replied fiercely.  “And I don’t care; I want to protect my friends.  And
anyway if this man can’t be stopped then he’ll just end up taking over and
killing everyone anyway.  Or at least making us slaves or something.”

“He has a
point,” Amar interjected calmly.  “Gasha has already ravaged several worlds. 
His army has become immense from warriors, willing or not, that have joined,
that includes beasts and monsters of great evil who are willing to follow a
strong master.  The army at Jangor really has little hope against such forces,
but if they fall then this world will as well.”

“You think we
should let a fourteen year old go to war then?” Stripe said sarcastically. 
“How long do you think he’ll last against an army like that?”

“I am saying
that at this point every man; woman and child should be given the choice. 
Stand and fight now or run and hope that those brave enough to fight will pull
off a miracle,” Amar replied meeting Stripes glare steadily.  “Ramaeka is much
stronger than you seem to think.  There are few fourteen year old boys that
could endure what he has already endured.”

Stripe dropped
his gaze, fists clenching.

“You wish to
fight then?” Parrit asked Amar.

“I wish to
help, but I will not leave Ramaeka either,” Amar replied glancing over at him.

Ramaeka met
his gaze in surprise.

“Then you’ll
fight if I do?” he asked unsurely.  “You’re one of the most powerful people
I’ve ever met and I don’t think I’ve seen even a part of your real power yet. 
The people at Jangor need you.”

“I know,” Amar
replied uncomfortably, ducking his head.  “I will not go without you though.”

Ramaeka rubbed
a hand through his hair, this was hard.  He knew that Amar was very powerful,
that he could change the course of the war.  He didn’t understand why he
wouldn’t leave without him, Ramaeka.  Stripe was right he was only a kid, and
this was a lot of responsibility.  Looking around at the faces of his friends,
he knew what he needed to do.

“Stripe,” he
said.  His friend looked up at him, face haggard from worry. 

“I want to
fight, and I know that Amar will be a big help in the battle.  But you’re my
best friend and I won’t leave without you either.”

Stripe met his
gaze intently before looking over at Shady who was glaring at the ground. 
Taking a deep breath he straightened, clearly having made up his mind.

“We fight then,”
he said firmly.  “Maybe we won’t make a difference but I won’t be ruled by
someone like Gasha.”

He glanced
over at Shady who looked back at him in frustration, before shrugging and going
back to his cooking.

“That’s the
spirit.”  Parrit leant over and whacked Stripe on the back almost sending him
to the ground.  Ramaeka grinned in relief as his friend smiled weakly at the
warrior woman, rubbing his back.  Finally the decision was made and a weight
seemed to lift off the camp, the light heartedness affecting even the two tough
female warriors.  The only person that remained gloomy was Shady who sat by
himself.  He ignored everybody, even Stripe when he tried to talk to him. 
Stripe finally sighed and walked over to join Ramaeka.

“Will he be ok?”
Ramaeka asked his friend anxiously.  “I didn’t mean to upset him.”

“Don’t worry
about it,” Stripe replied scuffing up his hair and grinning as Ramaeka tried to
smooth it back down, scowling at him.  “I’m glad we made this choice, it didn’t
feel right leaving.”

“Yeah,”
Ramaeka sighed.  “I just wish Shady felt that way.”

“He does,”
Stripe said calmly.  “Deep, deep and even deeper inside of him, he’s just
scared.”